Car bomb targets eastern Libyan city

One person killed and another wounded in an explosion on busy street in Benghazi, security officials say.

Benghazi has been hit by several bombings and attacks on international convoys in 2012 [Reuters]

A bomb explosion has killed at least one person in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, officials say.

The person killed was the driver of the car carrying the explosive device, a security spokesman said on Sunday.

A passenger in the car was wounded and taken to hospital.

"The driver of the car was carrying a home made bomb when it exploded while he was leaving the vehicle. It went off killing the driver and critically injuring one passenger," Abdel Moneim al-Hurr, a Supreme Security Committee spokesman, told the Reuters news agency.

The remains of the driver were visible inside the wrecked car. After the explosion, the street was closed off by dozens of police and military officials.

Gamal Abdel-Nasser street is the largest and busiest street in Benghazi, home to many shops, cafes and restaurants. It is also close to one of the city's busiest hotels, the Tebesty.

Hurr said that the identities of the driver and the passenger were not known.

Benghazi has been hit by several bombings this year and attacks on international convoys and organisations including the British and US missions and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Libyan government has been struggling to control a number of armed individuals and militias that gained power during an armed conflict that ousted Muammar Gaddafi last year.